Just Breathe
by Nellie Potter
Summary: Breathe. It's as easy as breathing. Just Breathe. Sweenett
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For all of you Sweenett lovers out there, this one's for you! No this not "High on a Mountain" rewritten. That will be coming in a few months with the same title.**

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><p><strong>Chapter one:<strong>

Anthony burst into Sweeney Todd's tonsorial parlour, Johanna's wrist in his grasp.

"Mister Todd!" he called out, but there was no one there. "You wait for him here and I'll return to the coach in less than half an hour," he told his bride to be. "Don't worry, no one will recognize you. You're safe.

Johanna stared deeply into Anthony's eyes. "Safe? So we run away and all our dreams come true?"

"I hope so."

Johanna shook her head in disbelief. "I've never had dreams, only nightmares."

"Johanna, when we're free of this place all the ghosts will go away," he tried reassuring her.

"No Anthony, they'll never go away."

Anthony traced Johanna's cheek with his thumb. "I'll be right back to you. Half an hour and we'll be free," and he left to fetch the coach. Johanna was all alone, or so she thought.

Someone was calling for the Beadle as they walked up the steps to enter the shop. It was the old beggar woman, and Johanna had hid in the trunk by the door before she was spotted. The beggar woman began saying things that did not make sense, mumbling to herself, trying to find the Beadle when a man appeared in the doorway. Sweeney Todd.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he questioned her.

"Evil is here sir, the stink of evil from below, from her. Oh she's the devil's wife, beware of her sir. She with no pity in her heart," Sweeney knew that the woman must've been talking about Mrs. Lovett. But the Judge was calling for him; he had no time for this nonsense. His only option: slit the throat of the woman. She fell through the trap door just in time before the Judge made his appearance.

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><p>Mrs. Lovett gave out a little yelp of surprise as she was not expecting the body of the beggar woman to make an appearance. Without a moment to lose, the baker brought the body over to the oven, letting go of it only to open the door.<p>

Lucy was surprisingly light-weight, but Mrs. Lovett realised that she should've expected this, for she doubted Lucy ate more than three times a week.

Mrs. Lovett could not help but give an evil grin as she watched Lucy burn in a fiery inferno of Hell. The Beadle was still lying on the cold stone, but he would have to wait. The Judge came tumbling down next, just as the last of Lucy was incinerated. Mrs. Lovett eased over to the Judge and what happened next she did not expect.

The Judge was still alive, barely, but was trying to cling on. He grabbed Mrs. Lovett's dress as pain and death consumed him. She couldn't help but let out a scream of surprise as Judge Turpin clutched the hem of her dress.

"Die don't it ever die!" she cried out and pulled away as Turpin took his last breath. Sweeney came bursting in the next second.

"Why'd you scream?" he asked as he saw Mrs. Lovett drag Turpin's corpse across the floor of the bake house.

"He was catching onto me dress, but he's finished now," the baker explained as she was almost to the oven. Sweeney went over and opened the door for her. They watched the body burn in silence. The noise of footsteps caught their attention.

Toby had emerged from the sewers, murder and hatred in his eyes. He inched towards the partners. He couldn't believe his beloved Mrs. Lovett had been a part of the whole sick operation. He trusted her, he loved her, he was her son. Toby had to end it though and he saw the only way to do that was to end them. But Sweeney had other plans. The barber whipped out his razor, a plan formed in his mind.

"Toby dear, you know I love you. But believe me, it's for the best," Mrs. Lovett tried explaining as Sweeney strode over to the boy and pressed the razor against his throat. Toby's eyes were wide with fright as he realised what was going on.

"I'm sorry love, I really am," Mrs. Lovett whispered. Without a second thought or a single hesitation, Sweeney dragged the razor across Toby's throat and the boy dropped to the floor dead, blood spraying from his little neck. Thinking fast, Sweeney placed the razor in the hand of Toby.

"Good thinking love," Nellie commented, though in reality, she was heartbroken looking at her adopted son. Tears formed around the rim of her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let herself be distracted now of all times.

"We have to get out of here," said Sweeney and Nellie knew he was right. If they were found here the only ones alive, it would be rather difficult to convince the constable that it was Toby who murdered everyone and then killed himself. So the odd couple rushed back up the stairs and packed a few of their things, only a few items of clothing and such so as not to arouse suspicion. Sweeney of course brought his razors. He had left one there, no one would think twice about it, and all of those who would, were dead now.

Together the baker and barber disappeared into the night going to the only place they knew to be safe.

Eleanor Lovett and Sweeney Todd were going to the seaside.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to Demolition. Lover .14 for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sweeney, Nellie, or the seaside**

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><p>The lives of the demon barber and baker…couldn't have seemed more normal. Mrs. Lovett no longer worked and had become a housewife, though she wouldn't call it that. Nellie and Sweeney were not married like she had once hoped.<p>

But they lived thriving lives. Sweeney had become an actual barber, his shop in the now clean attic. Stairs were built outside of the house and a door added, making the house seem like 186 Fleet Street.

They had only lived there a good two weeks and Mrs. Lovett spent those days mourning Toby, her only son. Sweeney had done nothing to comfort her. He had caught her multiple times sitting in the drawing room curled up on the sofa, a few tears spilling from her eyes. But he never said a word, just slowly backed out of the room.

It was nighttime when she knocked on his bedroom door. They had separate bedrooms upon Sweeney's request. When she heard a faint, "come in", she entered with a tray of two cups of tea.

"Thought you would want this, it's a little cold up here," she placed one of the cups on the bedside table. He gave a grunt in response, disappointed that his peace was interrupted. "Is everything alright?" she asked Sweeney, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"I'm fine," he responded, but she could see right through the lie. However, Nellie let it go, knowing it would just upset the barber if she pried. She patted his shoulder lightly.

"Of course you are," she sighed and stood up from the bed, teacup in hand. The Judge and the Beadle were dead, but Sweeney was still mourning his beloved Lucy. Mrs. Lovett felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She couldn't tell Sweeney what had happened, how she had done nothing to stop Lucy from poisoning herself, how she was the one that purchased the arsenic upon Lucy's request, how she had burned the body.

And all for what, so Benjamin would start realising his feelings for Nellie? Yes, but that hadn't happened. He had come back a different man and Nellie still tried to get him to love her. But that charade was over, the jig was up, the game had been abandoned. Nellie Lovett just…gave up. If Sweeney refused to see her as a person and not just an accomplice, that was fine by her. Deep down inside of her, it wasn't fine, but she managed to keep that under wraps, so deep inside, there were times Nellie would forget.

Sweeney couldn't let himself think of Mrs. Lovett as more than just his murderous accomplice. In truth, he was afraid feelings would develop. He was afraid Lucy would be forgotten. What was it that Mrs. Lovett wanted? Oh yes, a seaside wedding and a house by the English Channel. The dream was halfway completed, and oddly enough, Sweeney did not get the feeling that she would push to make the whole dream a reality, not just half. The baker had remained at what Sweeney considered an appropriate distance away from him, which he was thankful for. She was no longer forcing a conversation between them and only talking to him when felt necessary.

"There must be some way to the Judge," Sweeney muttered. Nellie rolled her eyes.

"Sweeney, you already got to the Judge, remember? It was just a few weeks ago," Nellie felt pity as well. It seemed that Sweeney had gotten into the habit of repeating those words to fill any empty silence. Sweeney looked up at her, a little stunned that she had called him by his first name. The usual blank expression remained on his pale face though.

"Right," the barber responded, using just one word as per usual. Though it had bothered Nellie the first few times when Sweeney and she began working together with their immoral "business", she had grown accustomed to it. The baker took one last sip of her tea before turning to go back towards the door.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything," her voice was quiet, as if she was trying to not disturb Sweeney from his thoughts. He never needed anything, but she would say it anyhow, as it was her tendency to do so. The funny thing was Sweeney never told her to stop. He just let her speak the statement.

She placed her teacup in the sink, not bothering to rinse it out. It wasn't like it wouldn't be there in an hour. Mrs. Lovett picked up the book she had begun reading a few days ago and sat in her usual position, curled up in the corner on the sofa. Nellie was only able to read a few lines in when some of her tears hit the page. The blasted book brought so many memories of her and Toby working together in the pie shop, her singing him to sleep, him hugging her to give her comfort. And now he was gone, forever.

Nellie had told him it was for the best, that she loved him. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised that if she really loved Toby, he wouldn't be dead. If it really was for the best, guilt wouldn't be taking over her. _God damn it Todd,_ she thought bitterly, _this is all your damn fault._

The baker closed her book shut and set it aside on the coffee table. The tears were flowing freely now and she had no intention of stopping them. If she continued to stop them, she might burst out crying at the most inconvenient moment. Better to rid her of them now. Nellie was so preoccupied with her sad memories, she didn't hear the footsteps, didn't see the man that stood before her.

Sweeney stared at the baker for a few moments before finally doing something. "Mrs. Lovett," his voice showed no compassion, no concern. It was just like every other time he had said her name.

She looked up to see Sweeney Todd standing in front of her. Hastily, she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, but Sweeney grabbed it. Before, Mrs. Lovett would always expect an electric current of desire to flow through her if Sweeney ever touched her the way he did now. But nothing occurred, just the feeling of pressure on her wrist. She blinked and looked into the eyes of the demon barber.

"S-sorry Mister Todd if-if I d-disturbed you," she stuttered, another tear escaping from her eye. Sweeney, using his free hand, wiped it away with a swift motion of his thumb.

"You have to let go," he said, sending a chill down Nellie's spine. She knew he was right. She had spent the past year or so telling him to forgive and forget only to ignore her own advice. The baker just shook her head.

"I can't Mister Todd, I simply can't," she refused to make eye contact with Sweeney, as if she was afraid she'd be turned to stone from his icy glare. But he wasn't glaring, not this time.

"Well, try," he commanded and walked away.

Mrs. Lovett stayed on the sofa for the rest of the night, not sleeping, thinking about what could've been if Toby were alive. Meanwhile upstairs, Sweeney was doing the same thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'm going on vacation for a week and a half and may not be able to update until I come home. I will do my best to at least work on the story though.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd. Right Sweeney?**

**Sweeney: Thank god you don't!**

**Me: Hurtful...**

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><p>Mrs. Lovett got no sleep that night whatsoever. It seemed nearly impossible for her to do so. Dreams of Toby plagued her whenever she attempted to sleep. Nellie used to dream about the dark barber, holding her, kissing her, telling her "I love you." Not anymore, just Toby; him and no one nor nothing else, only dreams about Toby.<p>

She was sitting alone in the kitchen, deep in thought about her new life. She was not Mrs. Todd and could not call herself Mrs. Lovett for Albert was dead and it was "Till death do us part." Albert had parted.

Eleanor had put on a kettle of tea and it was now screaming at the top of its lungs. Yet Eleanor did not hear it. Sweeney could clearly hear the high pitch whistle of the kettle though, all the way from upstairs.

He came into the kitchen, his footsteps not loud, but angry. They were angry because his peace had been interrupted, angry because thoughts of his wife and daughter had been disrupted.

"Mrs. Lovett," he growled at her, but she took no notice. Seeing this, Sweeney walked over to the kettle and took it off the wood-burning stove. Nellie still made no movement. The barber poured two cups of tea. He silently walked up behind the baker and put his hand on her shoulder.

Eleanor jumped when Sweeney touched her. She hadn't expected such a thing to happen ever, yet she still didn't speak. Sweeney Todd handed her the cup of tea while he sipped his. She whispered a 'thank you' and took a small sip of the tea, the liquid searing her lips, mouth, and throat.

Sweeney sat in the chair next to her, watching her every move, which wasn't much. She just stared at the table, occasionally taking a sip of the weak tea. Sweeney set his cup down, trying to do it as quiet as possible. When a few moments had passed, he raised his hand from the table, it hovering just a few inches above the wood. Sweeney seemed rather hesitant, but Eleanor wasn't paying attention t say something about it. He stared at her hand on the table and placed his own atop of it.

Nellie did not jump nor flinch. She just stared at their hands, eyes slightly wider than before. Her gaze moved from their hands to Sweeney's face. Her brown eyes met his dark ones. He gave her a curt nod and stood up, moving his hand away from hers. He half expected to hear a sigh from Nellie because of the loss of contact. She made no noise, her stare returning to the table.

Sweeney's words echoed through her head. The words he sang when she came up with the devilish idea to use Signor Adolfo Pirelli's body as meat for her infamous meat pies.

"_Mrs. Lovett, you're a bloody wonder eminently practical and yet appropriate as always…"_

These words now seemed like lies to her. If she were eminently practical, she would have told Sweeney to leave her shop as soon as he introduced the idea of snatching away the lives of innocent men. 'Appropriate as always', the idea was now comical. She had thrown herself at the barber so many times she had lost count. And in Nellie's mind, that was not considered appropriate.

Nellie shifted slightly in the chair and realised how stiff she was feeling. It almost hurt to move. Deciding to do something about it, she stood up (with only a bit of difficulty), and began heading towards the front door. To get to the front door, she passed through the drawing room, finding Sweeney on the sofa, staring off into space.

"Heading out," Nellie mumbled as she walked back. She didn't wait for an answer; she never got one no matter what she told him, unless Sweeney found it worth his time. Nellie Lovett slipped out the door, closing it silently behind her.

It was only after Eleanor closed the door that Sweeney turned his head to face her direction. She was gone of course, but he still stared at the spot where she was standing to open the door. The baker had told him that she was heading out, she didn't mention where she was going. After waiting for a few minutes, Sweeney left the house as well.

He found Nellie with ease. She was by the English Channel, sitting in the sand. Sweeney took note of the fact she was not wearing her shoes, water lapping at her bare toes. He moved so that he was just a mere three feet behind her.

She was not aware of the barber behind her. All that Nellie was aware of was that the sea was reaching out to her, the smell of salt filling her nose, fresh air surrounding her. It was all so peaceful.

Sweeney took one step closer to Nellie. He stayed very still after that and then moved even closer to her. When he was close enough, Sweeney Todd placed his hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly at the contact. Nellie turned her head to look up at Sweeney. She did not smile, just turned back to face the sea. Without saying a word, Sweeney moved and sat down next to her.

Eleanor again turned her head to look at Sweeney, who was now sitting next to her. Neither of them spoke, just sat there. Sweeney Todd and Eleanor Lovett sitting next to each other, with Sweeney's hand upon her shoulder.

Her instinct took over and she moved less than an inch closer to him. Sweeney made no movement to push her away. In fact, Sweeney moved closer to her. Before Sweeney knew what he was doing, his hand was no longer on Nellie's shoulder; his arm was around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Sweeney was feeling slightly uncomfortable, but did not want to move. Despite feeling a little uncomfortable, he did not feel so alone anymore, like he had someone in the world.

It would be hours before Nellie and Sweeney would move from this position to go back home, their home.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Guess what guys? I have Wi-Fi, so I am able to update while on my vacation. Yay! Thanks so much for your reviews and adding this story to favourites and alerts. It means a lot seeing as I didn't think I would be able to create romance between the two people where romance was the least likely thing to happen.**

**Disclaimer: Me owns nothing as Sweeney so "nicely" said in the last chapter.**

**Sweeney: (*death glare*)**

**Me: okay...on with the story...**

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><p>Midnight, it had to be midnight. Eleanor didn't need a clock to know. She had stayed up for enough nights to know how to tell the time by the sky and stars. She sat on the sofa, has been sitting there since nine at night. She hadn't moved an inch.<p>

Sweeney had gone to bed, Nellie could tell from the lack of noise upstairs. True, the barber did not cause a lot of noise in the first place, but it was known when he was pacing. His footsteps treading upon the wood floor had once been a lullaby. Not anymore since Nellie couldn't sleep.

No, Sweeney was not pacing, but he wasn't sleeping either. He was just sitting on his bed in the dark. The wind was blowing slightly outside, creating a low whistle that was somewhat soothing, soothing enough for Eleanor to finally fall asleep. And she dreamed, she dreamed of Toby, the blood spurting from his neck, soaking the front of his clothes. She began crying in her sleep, not waking up.

Her sobs became loud enough for Sweeney to hear in his room. He was not worried, his footsteps kept at an even pace as he made his way downstairs. When he entered the drawing room, Sweeney was met with the sight of Mrs. Lovett on the couch, crying, but asleep. He strode over to her and lightly shook her. Nellie stopped her crying, but did not awaken. Sweeney sighed.

Sweeney Todd bent down and moved her arms so that she was hugging his neck. The barber picked her up and carried her to her room, bridal style. He laid her down on the bed, making sure she was nice and comfortable. He then sat down on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on top of hers. Nellie moved slightly, causing Sweeney to immediately remove his hand. But Nellie was not awake, not even dreaming anymore.

After a few more moments and no more movements were made by Eleanor (except for the occasional twitch and flinch), Sweeney placed his hand gently on her face, caressing it in a soothing manner. He hadn't done something like that since Lucy. In fact, as Sweeney recalled, he hadn't even done that. Lucy was a bit more independent, could take care of herself.

Seeing that Nellie slightly shivered, Sweeney moved the blankets so that they were covering her properly. He resumed to sitting on the edge of the bed. It was only an hour later when he moved to go to his own room. He considered staying with her throughout the night, but Sweeney figured that would give her the wrong impression.

Once back in the imprisonment of his bedroom, Sweeney lay on his bed very still. His breathing was steady as he stared up at the ceiling, hands folded on his chest. What had just happened back in Nellie's room? He had touched her face in a caring way. And yet he did not shudder at the thought.

Nellie awoke the next morning in her bedroom. She glanced around the room, still feeling a little groggy and not remembering how she got there. Did she sleepwalk? That seemed to be the only reasonable explanation. The unreasonable explanation: Sweeney Todd had brought her there. But it was just as Nellie thought; it was unreasonable and irrational.

She walked into the kitchen to see Sweeney already sitting there, two cups of tea on the table. He pushed one of the cups closer to the chair next to him, as if telling her to come and sit down. She did so, taking the cup of tea in her hand and sipping.

"How did you sleep?" Sweeney asked her, his voice hardly audible. But Nellie heard him, she heard him loud and clear.

"Very well thank you. What about you?" In all honesty, she didn't exactly care. But it was the polite thing to do. Sweeney knew she was lying; he had witnessed her having a nightmare, crying. He said nothing about it though.

Sweeney answered her with a quick nod of the head and an almost silent "Fine." In sync, they sipped their tea, the atmosphere filled with an empty, awkward silence. Nellie had noticed that Sweeney made no comment about getting the Judge. It seemed his habit was broken.

Nellie did not finish her tea, only drank half of it. She was really getting rather sick of tea. Gin held no interest to her. And as for the ale, there wasn't any. Eleanor stood up and drained the rest of the tea in the sink. "Heading out," she murmured absentmindedly.

Sweeney stood up from his chair as well, grabbing Nellie's arm as she walked by him. "I'm coming with you," he told her.

"No," she snapped at him. Eleanor realised what she had done and took a deep breath. "I mean, that's quite alright Mistah T, you don't have to."

"Sweeney," the barber's voice was somewhat dark, like it was some sort of threat. "It's Sweeney." It took Eleanor a moment for the words to register. She gave a subtle nod.

"Sweeney," she repeated.

"Nellie," was Sweeney's response as he placed the hand that was clutching her arm on her shoulder. Sweeney was once convinced that saying the first name of Eleanor Lovett would be difficult to do, but he was proven wrong. It felt somewhat natural.

Nellie tried moving away from Sweeney, but just couldn't. With his hand on her shoulder, she felt safe in a manner of speaking. Like someone was looking out for her, comforting her. But this was Sweeney Todd, he was not kind, he was not compassionate. Perhaps at one time he was when he was Benjamin Barker. Now he was Sweeney Todd: The Used to be Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the used to be mass murderer of London.

"I'm coming with you," Sweeney stated again, his voice more firm, showing Nellie that she did not have a say in it. Without another word, Nellie led the way towards the door. Sweeney knew where they were going; they were going to the beach. It had become Nellie's place practically.

No one else was out, mostly because Sweeney and Nellie's house was the only one for miles. Seagulls called from up above as the ocean roared and crashed onto the sand. It was just so peaceful, peaceful enough that even Sweeney felt calm.

Nellie walked ahead of him and out to the edge of the water. She took a deep breath, her eyes closed, letting the world melt away. Sweeney stopped in his tracks, giving Eleanor time to herself. His dark eyes followed her as she sat down in the sand, hugging her knees. He felt no emotion, but did feel a tugging inside of him, as if he was telling himself to go be with her. Unable to resist the feeling, Sweeney began inching closer to Nellie.

She heard him moving in the sand and could tell that he was trying to be as silent as possible about it. Nellie let him do whatever it was Sweeney was doing. She learned long ago to not question him and his actions. Soon enough, he was just a few feet behind her. Nellie saw him out of the corner of her eye and she gave small scowl. She had told him that she didn't want him to come with her. She just wanted to be alone. The seaside was no longer to be used as her reverie as long as she wasn't alone.

It was early enough to catch the sun rising and it was breathtaking. Nellie's eyes traced the waves out on the sea, admiring the colour of the sky as it began changing from dark violet to a blazing pink and orange, the sun still a bright, strawberry red as it rose higher and higher in the sky. Looking at the same picture of loveliness as Nellie, Sweeney moved so that he was beside her. The whole sunrise was simply,

"Beautiful," Nellie breathed.

Sweeney turned his head so the he was properly looking at her as he said something that he thought he would never say, even in death. "Yes, you are."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated. I have a rather important poll on my profile. It decides the fate of two of my stories. Please vote! I will not update any more of my stories until I see what the people (that's you guys) want.**

**Disclaimer: I love Sweeney Todd, but don't own it.**

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><p>Sweeney was rather shocked, at himself and Nellie. For one thing, he had called her beautiful. For another, she didn't react at all. She kept sitting in the sand, absentmindedly tracing small swirls in it. Sweeney realised that this was a good thing. He was convinced that she hadn't heard him.<p>

But Nellie had heard him, she always heard him, every bloody word he said. Yet, she remained unaffected by this particular phrase. Like the many things Sweeney said, they were just words. If things were the way they were back on Fleet Street, she might have been moved by them, might have felt a spark of hope. This was the seaside though, not Fleet Street.

The sun had fully risen and morning had officially arrived. Eleanor stood up from the sand, brushing some grains off her dress. As she began walking back towards the house, she announced, "Going to make breakfast." But it was as if she were talking to herself instead of telling Sweeney.

Instead of following her like Sweeney felt that he should, the barber just stood where he was. Mixed emotions filled him to the brim. Anger for letting his feelings get the best of him, confused by his words and if he really meant them and one emotion he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was one that he might have felt when he was Benjamin Barker, but Sweeney Todd was unfamiliar with it. The name had been long forgotten.

After a considerate amount of moments, Sweeney began walking back towards the house. He walked through the door to find Nellie sitting on the sofa, staring into space, holding something red in her hand. As Sweeney inched closer towards her, he realised that she was not holding something red, her hand _was_ red.

Red from blood.

While Nellie was making breakfast, chopping up some red bell peppers, she managed to give herself a long and rather deep slice on the palm of her hand. She had done nothing to stop the bleeding. Just gave up on making breakfast.

Sweeney gave out a quiet sigh of annoyance. He had expected this from himself, not Mrs. Lovett. _Nellie, her name is Nellie, not Mrs. Lovett, _Sweeney mentally corrected himself. He headed for the medicine cabinet. Out of it, he retrieved a small bottle of antiseptic and the bandages. Nellie hadn't moved when he returned.

With confident strides, Sweeney walked over and knelt down in front of Nellie. She seemed unaware of his presence. Gingerly, Sweeney took her hand and began wiping the antiseptic on her cut. She let out a hiss of pain and brought her hand back to her, holding it with her forefinger and thumb.

"Sorry," Sweeney mumbled and she looked at him in disbelief. "What?" he questioned her.

"You," Nellie began. "You apologised to me." Her tone of voice matched her facial expression.

Sweeney didn't see the significance in this. "And?" His voice was rather harsher than he wanted it to be, but Nellie took no notice.

Eleanor's countenance softened a bit, her voice a tad bit quieter. "That's the first time you ever said that to me," she explained, and Sweeney realised she was right. He had never once said the words 'I'm sorry' to her. Even now when he did it, he felt as if he had done it all wrong. Sweeney just said a single word of apology, not the full sentence.

"I am sorry," Sweeney said, saying the words full out instead of the contraction 'I'm'. Nellie seemed to trust him a bit more and held out her injured hand to him. He took it gently and applied some more antiseptic, attempting to make it as painless as possible by applying just a little bit at a time.

When Sweeney felt that enough had been applied to keep the cut clean for a while, he tied the bandage around her hand, moving swiftly. However, when the bandage was tied, his fingers lingered on her hand. They both stared at their hands, seemingly frozen in time.

"Nellie," Sweeney whispered, not tearing his gaze away from their hands. He began intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Sweeney," she replied with an equal amount of softness in her voice. She moved her eyes away from their hands to look at the face of the barber. Sweeney moved so that he was now standing in front of Nellie, his hand still holding hers. She stood up as well when Sweeney slightly tugged her hand as he stood. When she did so, her face was only a few inches away from Sweeney's. Unbeknownst to her, he had stood up in a certain way so exactly that would happen.

He raised a hand and swiped away a few stray curls of hers, his fingers brushing against her cheek lightly. Sweeney leaned in slightly, not aware of what he was doing. Something inside of him was taking over and he didn't mind it.

Nellie moved a bit closer as well. Her heart was beating faster and she wouldn't have been surprised if Sweeney could hear it. He leaned just a little bit more, a burning desire to place his lips upon hers searing his heart. Just a half an inch closer and…

A bell could be heard dinging from upstairs. A customer had come for a shave, forcing Sweeney to tear away from Nellie, leaving her standing there.

Just as he was at the bottom of the staircase, he turned around again. Sorrow was in his eyes as he looked at Nellie who gazed after him with something that she hadn't looked at him with in a long time. Longing. Sweeney once more turned back around and went up the stairs, leaving Nellie to her thoughts, to mull over what just happened.

Surely her feelings for Sweeney hadn't been resurrected, had they? And he most definitely didn't develop feelings for her, Nellie was sure of this. But what had just happened back there? Shaking her head, Nellie returned to the kitchen to attempt to make breakfast again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, the results are in and the votes said to put Stepping Stones and Of Paper Moons and Silly String on hiatus. Which means the Sweenett shall be the one to continue with updates! yay! **

**Thanks so much for all of your reviews!**

**Dislcaimer: Since this story is AU, can I say that I own Sweeney Todd? I mean it is AU. Guess not, okay, I don't own Sweeney Todd.**

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><p>Sweeney gave the customer a quick shave. It wasn't his best quality work, but Sweeney just didn't care as he tossed the man the towel to wipe off the excess foam. The man paid and hurriedly left, sensing that it was the best to do so.<p>

The barber stood there, motionless, expressionless, as his thoughts consumed him. He held her hand, he guided her towards him, brought himself closer to her, almost kissed…Sweeney slightly shuddered thinking about it. The fact that it was him who made all of the moves didn't help.

Conflicted, Sweeney began doing what he did best: pace.

His footsteps were heard down in the kitchen, where Nellie had just finished chopping the peppers and was now cooking scrambled eggs. She didn't make a lot for she wasn't that hungry and knew that Sweeney wouldn't eat much.

When the eggs were almost done, Nellie added the red bell peppers for flavour. After a few more moments, she was satisfied with her work and took the pan off of the wood-burning stove and dished out small portions of the food onto two plates. Sighing, Nellie placed one of the plates onto a tray that held a cup of tea as well. She lifted the tray, leaving her plate of eggs on the counter.

Nellie left the corner and rounded the corner and almost ran into Sweeney. She staggered back, able to keep the tray in her hands.

"Sorry about that Mister Todd," Nellie muttered.

"Sweeney," Sweeney corrected her once more. He was determined to break her habit of calling him by his formal name.

"Sweeney," Nellie repeated, her eyes studying his face.

"Nellie," Sweeney said, going through what seemed to have become their routine. He would say his name, she would say his name, and he would say her name.

"What are you doing down here?" Nellie asked. Usually, she would bring him up his breakfast either to the barbershop or his bedroom.

Sweeney's eyes locked onto hers. "I thought I'd join you for breakfast," he said so calmly, rather than his usual demeanor. His words caught Nellie totally off guard.

"Oh, well…yes of course." Nellie turned around and went back to the kitchen, setting the tray down on the counter. She lifted off the plate and cup of tea and set them at the head of the small table. Nellie retrieved her own plate and cup of tea and placed it at her usual spot at the table, next to the head chair where Sweeney sat. They both took their places and began eating in silence.

Sweeney didn't want to admit it out loud, but the food was enjoyable. Whenever he ate her food back at Fleet Street, he would be so consumed by his own emotions of revenge; he was unable to taste the few bites he would take. But now, flavour danced in his mouth and Sweeney for the first time realised how much of a wonderful cook Nellie was, with the exception of the pies when he first set foot in her shop as Sweeney Todd. He ate all of it.

Nellie on the other hand, had settled with just a few bites. She rested her fork next to her plate and stared at the table with a blank expression, fingers drumming lightly on the wood. Sweeney placed his hand on hers, causing the drumming to cease. Nellie looked at him.

"You need to eat," Sweeney told her and Nellie shook her head.

"I'm not hungry," she said, trying to sound convincing. "Honestly." But Sweeney would not hear of it. Knowing that it would be no use to argue, he took matters into his own hands and picked up her fork. He scooped some of the scrambled eggs onto it, making sure to include a bit of pepper and brought it to her mouth.

"Sweeney, what are you doing?" Nellie looked at him with a quizzical expression. Surely Sweeney wasn't about to… _feed_ her?

Sweeney sighed, "If you insist on acting like a child, than you shall be treated like one. Now open," he commanded. Taken aback just a bit, Nellie did as she was told. Her mouth opened just a bit, and she realised that she would need to open it further when Sweeney pushed the fork up to her mouth.

The utensil was placed in her mouth and taken out. Nellie chewed on the food and had to admit, it wasn't that bad. She swallowed and Sweeney gave her another forkful of egg. And so it went on until Nellie's plate was completely cleared.

"Feel better?" Sweeney asked her. Nellie nodded and stood up, taking the plates and Sweeney's now empty cup of tea with her. Placing them in the sink, Nellie quickly rinsed out the dishes and left them there to do later. Letting out a breath, Nellie walked out of the kitchen to go to her place on the sofa in the drawing room. Sweeney followed and sat down next to her as she curled up.

There was complete silence except for the sound of their breaths. It was an uncomfortable silence, and though Sweeney enjoyed the peacefulness of the quiet, there was no peace in this. It was awkward and the air seemed stiff. Sweeney had to shatter this.

"Nellie?" he called out to her softly. Eleanor turned her head to face the barber.

"Yes Sweeney?" she responded, remembering to use his first name.

Sweeney regretted striking up a conversation. It just made everything more awkward and strange. That was why he was so thankful that Nellie was half way back to her normal self and took the liberty of continuing the conversation. She moved a bit closer to him.

"Sweeney, what happened between us? When you were helping me with my hand?" As she spoke, Eleanor lightly touched her hand with the bandage.

Sweeney shook his head. "I'm…not sure," he replied truthfully, those moments flashing back: holding her hand, moving closer, his lips almost meeting hers. All the while of thinking back, Sweeney didn't notice that Nellie was now even closer, leaving just two inches of space between their shoulders.

Nellie looked down to the ground, studying the hardwood flooring, taking in every minor detail. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt Sweeney place his arm around her shoulders. He silently brought her closer, obviously not wanting her to say anything as well.

So there they were: Sweeney Todd and Eleanor Lovett, with Eleanor resting her head on Sweeney's shoulder and him just sitting there as if it were natural. And to him it felt very natural. The same could be said for Nellie.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was going to wait a few more days, but I decided to be nice. Here's chapter seven, lot's of drama ahead!**

**Disclaimer: -_- I don't own Sweeney freakin' Todd, okay?**

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><p>"Dinner!" Nellie called from the kitchen, her demeanor more cheerful than before. She had called out that it was dinnertime knowing that if Sweeney wanted to eat with her again, he would come down. And if he didn't, he would just yell out to bring it up.<p>

But Sweeney did come downstairs again and inhaled deeply, letting the smell of Nellie's soup overcome him. He truly was hungry and figured that if breakfast was good, dinner should be as well.

When Sweeney entered the kitchen, the table was already set and he took his place. Nellie served the soup and sat down as well. Without a word, the two began eating. The silence was particularly unbearable for Nellie now that she was practically back to her normal self.

"So, how was your day?" she questioned, just as Sweeney dipped his spoon in his bowl of soup for more.

"I spent most of it with you," Sweeney pointed out in a rather dry manner. Realising his tone of voice he quickly added, "It was very well. And you?"

Nellie shrugged, "Same thing as you, it was very well." Neither of them brought up the little moment on the sofa. Though it was more than just a moment, it was a half hour before either of them moved.

Once both had finished their dinner, Nellie cleaned up, actually washing the dishes and putting them away instead of just leaving them in the sink. Sweeney stayed at the kitchen table the whole time, watching her hands move. He almost smiled when one of the dishes slipped into the sink, causing soapy water to splash everywhere, partially soaking the front of Nellie's dress. She let out a small squeal of surprise and amusement.

"Oh bugger," she muttered, reaching for a towel and scrubbing the fabric of her dress to dry it off. Though he was not laughing, Sweeney was smirking. Nellie glanced over at him and saw this.

Placing her hands on her hips, she said, "And what are you smirking at?"

Sweeney stood up and walked over to her. When he was close enough, Sweeney took the towel away from Nellie's grasp and started dabbing at the front of her dress. Taken aback, Nellie took a single step away from Sweeney.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a hint of concern. Sweeney still had a smirk upon his face.

"Not a thing to fear Nellie," he assured her as he stepped closer. Though she was still uneasy despite his words, Nellie let Sweeney come closer. The few inches of empty space between them was filled with the towel and Sweeney's hand as he started dabbing at her dress again, knowing that this was better for drying than scrubbing like she had been doing.

Sweeney finished, resting his hand holding the towel at his side. Nellie relieved him of his burden and placed the towel of the counter. Other than that, there was no other movement. Then, Sweeney did it, he stepped closer.

"Sweeney?" Nellie gave Sweeney a look of curiosity, unaware of what his plan was, though she had a pretty good idea.

"Yes pet?" he asked, though it was very apparent that he did not want an answer, just wanted this moment to be in a hush. Yet Nellie ignored this. She placed her hand on his chest and slightly pushed back, creating a little more space between the two.

Nellie gave a subtly shake of her head. "I can't do this Sweeney; I can't do this to Lucy." This confused Sweeney. Why would she be so concerned with his dead wife? In fact, Lucy had been temporarily forgotten by the barber as he made his moves.

"Whatever do you mean?" his brow furrowed as he thought on her words.

Nellie didn't want to admit the truth, how she bought the arsenic, did nothing to stop Lucy, burned her body… but it had to be done, the guilt was eating her alive. It wasn't just thoughts of Toby that had been keeping her up all night.

"Sweeney, there's something I have to tell you."

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><p>Sweeney had been led to the sofa, Nellie sitting close, but not as close as he would have preferred. But she knew that the further away, the safer she'd be (at least in her mind). She held Sweeney's hand; her fingertips ghosting his skin as she gently caressed it as she stared at it, not wanting to see the hate that would surely appear in his eyes soon.<p>

"Now before I begin, you mustn't be mad," Nellie's voice was hushed, forcing Sweeney to strain his ears to hear. Her statement thoroughly confused the barber, but he nodded in understanding, having this sudden urge to listen to every word Nellie had to say.

Nellie drew in a shaky breath and continued. "When Lucy took the poison, she died...and yet…she didn't." It made no sense, and at the same time, it did. "Lucy's heart didn't stop beating, but she wasn't the same. Lucy had died, a new woman was created."

Sweeney raised an eyebrow and Nellie made a noise of frustration. This was harder to explain than she thought. Then, an idea hit her. "Remember the first day you came back to my shop after fifteen years? I had called you Mister Barker and you said that he was dead, that it was Sweeney Todd. It was like that."

"Was?" Sweeney inquired. "What do you mean was?" Surely if Lucy had survived the poison and was just in a different state of mind, then she was still alive.

Nellie had looked up at Sweeney for a brief second before averting her eyes again. "Lucy's dead now, really dead. The beggar woman…" she trailed off and could've sworn she saw emotion overcome Sweeney's face. Sweeney felt it too. He could feel his face transform from a blank expression to a countenance of horror.

Lucy was the beggar woman…the beggar woman he killed…Sweeney didn't want to believe it.

"No," he barked. "No, you're lying." He took his hand away from Nellie.

Nellie shook her head. "I wish I was. But it's all true. Lucy's gone for good."

Sweeney's next question was the one Nellie dreaded. "I didn't see her in the bake house. Where's her body?"

The guilt had become too much for Nellie. She stood up abruptly and went to the staircase to go to her room. She came close to escape, but when she was halfway up the stairs Sweeney came to the bottom of them.

"Where is her body Nellie?" he growled, still using her first name. Eleanor turned around for a brief second to face Sweeney, tears making her eyes shimmer. With a quiet sob, she rushed up the stairs and slammed the door to her room, leaving Sweeney's question unanswered. So he slumped back to the sofa and racked his brain for possibilities.

Sweeney had entered the bake house to find Nellie dragging the body of the judge to the oven. That was when it struck him hard. Nellie must've burned Lucy before Sweeney came down when he heard the scream. Anger and hatred flooded Sweeney when he came to realisation. How could Nellie do such a horrible thing? Muffled sobs could be heard from upstairs.

Nellie was locked in her room, hugging a pillow to her chest. She absolutely hated herself for what she had done. Lucy may not have been her friend, but she was Benjamin's wife and Benjamin was a friend to Nellie. And now, both Benjamin and Lucy were dead. Benjamin had been replaced, but Lucy was gone forevermore.

The barber had become lost in his thoughts to notice that four hours had gone by. He hadn't moved a bit since sitting on the sofa, but his thoughts changed quite drastically. Sweeney was even angrier with himself for almost kissing Nellie. No, she had lost the privilege of having him call her by her first name. Mrs. Lovett, that's who she was in the first place and, Sweeney was convinced that that's who she would stay.

Eleanor had stopped her sobbing, but still held the pillow to her body tightly, as if that mere, inanimate object would protect her from harm. She heard Sweeney's rough steps as he tread up the staircase and she flinched when his door slammed shut.

She and Sweeney were back to their insomnia habits.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: after a long wait, I present to you, Chapter Eight! yay! Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I'm so happy that this story is going so well. Hopefully, chapter nine will be up by the end of next week.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Sweeney Todd**

**Sweeney: And Sweeney is thankful for that**

**Me: Shut up Sweeney!**

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><p>It had been a month since the escape to the seaside. Everything had been fine until Nellie admitted the terrible truth about Lucy. Sweeney hadn't spoken to her since, and she hadn't said a word to him as well. Sweeney had picked up his old habit of staying in his barber shop for most of the day unless necessary to come down. Nellie stayed locked up in her room.<p>

It was one night when a storm struck. Sweeney, who rarely sleeps in the first place, was having a particularly restless night. He used to be able to sleep for at least four hours at the most, but no such luck that stormy night. But it wasn't just the storm that kept the barber tossing and turning. It was a returning dream. Or nightmare, Sweeney couldn't decide between the two. It involved Lucy.

Lucy would just be standing there out in an open field, just like how she was when Sweeney, Benjamin, saw her. Her apparel hadn't changed and her hair, that beautiful shade of gold. Most would call it blonde, but Sweeney knew. He knew it was gold.

"Forget me Sweeney, forget me," Lucy would whisper over and over again until Sweeney couldn't take it anymore and would wake up in what felt to be a cold sweat. He closed his eyes once more, only for the image of Lucy in the field to return. Wanting to rid himself of the images and sounds, Sweeney stood up from his bed, grumbling to himself.

Not lighting any candles, using the lightning for sight, Sweeney walked down the stairs to make himself some tea for comfort. When he entered the kitchen though, the lightning illuminated a figure pouring already made tea into a mug.

"Mrs. Lovett," he snarled at the figure. Nellie jumped, gasping as Sweeney said her name, scaring her. She turned around fast to face the used to be demon barber. Her eyes were wide, mouth gaping open as she searched for words, but to no avail. Thunder and a flash of lightening filled the empty silence.

Nellie let out yelp of fear when the thunder rang out. She hugged her arms tightly, trying to bring some comfort to herself. Sweeney raised an eyebrow.

"Afraid of thunderstorms are we?" he inquired. Nellie gave a subtle nod. The new piece of information somewhat surprised the barber. Nellie didn't seem like the type of woman to be afraid of thunderstorms. Yet here she was, slightly shaking in fear.

Some part of Sweeney wanted to reach out to her and comfort her. But there was a larger half saying to not even dare to think of such a thing. Lucy was who he was faithful to. The dream of his beloved wife however, rang out in his head. 'Forget me Sweeney, forget me,' Lucy's words echoed in his head. He would always do as his Lucy commanded whatever the task. But was he willing to go that far?

"What are you doing up?" Nellie asked suddenly, trying desperately to ignore the raging storm occurring just outside the window.

"Couldn't sleep," Sweeney replied, slightly flabbergasted that he was continuing a conversation with this witch standing before him. But she wasn't a witch, in fact, he thought she looked quite the opposite with the lightning behind her and white nightdress.

"Would you like some tea then?" Nellie offered, focusing on Sweeney, only seeing his face when the lightning flashed. When a particular bright streak of lightning lit up the sky, Sweeney nodded. Eleanor took out another teacup and poured the warm liquid. She handed the steaming up to Sweeney who immediately sipped despite the hot temperature.

Nellie studied his face for a few moments when Sweeney was not looking at her. When he turned his head so that his eyes were set on her once more, she averted her gaze. Feeling uncomfortable in the awkward, stiff air, Eleanor walked past Sweeney and went to the parlour, the one place she felt safe for reasons unknown to her.

The barber stayed in the kitchen, deep in thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. Should he listen to the dream? No, of course not, it was only a dream. Yet at the same time it wasn't. It was Lucy's voice, Lucy's hair, it was Lucy. It was a vision, not a dream. His darling Lucy had come back to haunt his sleeping mind and tell him to let her go. Lucy wanted to be let go. Though he was a murderer, Sweeney would always respect the wishes of his wife, doornail dead or very much alive.

Taking a heavy breath, Sweeney stepped backwards and then turned around fully, making his way to the parlour where he found Nellie curled up on the couch and hugging a throw pillow, flinching at every boom of the thunder and crack of the lightning. Sweeney couldn't help but feel pity for her. Taking another sip of tea, Sweeney ambled over to her.

Nellie did not see Sweeney in the dark and caught sight of him standing in front of her when the lightning gave her sight. She took a sharp intake of breath for she was unaware of his presence until that point in time. Without asking her permission, Sweeney sat down next to her, closer than usual.

"I had a dream," he muttered, sipping the last of his tea, "of Lucy."

"Stop, that's enough," Nellie stated as she abruptly stood up from the sofa. "It's one thing to be angry Mister Todd; it's another thing to force the guilt upon me." Despite the raging storm outside, Eleanor thrust open the door, utterly fuming, and walked out into the rain, getting soaked almost immediately. Struggling against the torrential downpour, Nellie went to her favourite spot on the beach that was just few feet away from the rough, roaring water.

Grumbling unintelligible words, Sweeney stood up, placing his tea cup on the table beside the sofa. He followed Nellie into the tempest, barely able to keep sight of her because of the rain. With his vision blurred, Sweeney managed to navigate to Nellie.

"Eleanor!" he shouted over the whistling wind and thunder. "Come back to the house!"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Nellie screamed. "Just keep away from me!" Lightning flashed, illuminating Nellie's face, contorted in anger.

Sweeney rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated groan. "God, why do you have to be so stubborn, hm? Why can't you just listen to me for once?"

"Listen to you _for once_?" Nellie shrieked. "I listen to every god damned word you say! Unlike you, who never listens to me ever!"

All the while she was shouting, Sweeney was moving closer to Nellie. Now he was only a two feet away from her. "I always listened," he responded with a firm tone of voice.

Nellie was dumbfounded. "Wh-what?"

Sweeney placed his hands on her shoulders. "I always listened to you," he repeated. Sweeney leaned in slightly, the distance between each of their lips becoming smaller.

"Sweeney," Nellie muttered, staring at Sweeney's eyes, and then his lips. She leaned in a bit more too.

"Nellie." Sweeney bowed his head a bit closer.

"Sweeney," Eleanor whispered and that was the last of their words as the two became one, erasing the distance together; their lips meeting in the middle.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the wait and the shortness of the chapter! Thanks for the reviews! I've had this plot bunny for a collection of Sweeney Todd sonfics instead of individual ones. Should I? The updates won't be very constant since I wanna focus on this, but tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Please can't I own you, please?**

**Sweeney: No.**

**Me: Damn...**

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><p>Neither of them really knew what was going on. The thunderstorm disappeared as well, the boom of thunder becoming a low hum as each melted into the kiss. Eleanor didn't realise that it was happening until she opened her eyes for a quick moment, seeing Sweeney in front of her, his lips on hers. Sweeney did realise what was going on, just couldn't believe it was happening.<p>

The kiss only lasted a few seconds. When the two broke apart, they just stared at each other, Nellie chest rising up and down as her emotions consumed her. Sweeney looked as calm as ever, as if nothing just happened. But then he stepped forward, and this time, Nellie didn't move away.

He raised his hand, placing it on the side of her cheek. Nellie nestled into his touch and Sweeney began caressing her cheek, admiring her eyes.

"We… we should get outta the rain," Nellie suggested, closing her eyes as her cheek rested against Sweeney's palm. He nodded a few times before lowering his hand and putting his arm around her waist, bringing Nellie closer to him as he guided her into the house.

The warmth of their residence was most inviting after having spent time in the harsh, unforgiving coldness of the rain. Nellie immediately set to work and began a fire in the fireplace so as to warm up the house even more.

"We should change," Sweeney proposed. Nellie looked at him, then to her nightgown, just realising that she was sopping wet, a small puddle forming on the wood floor. Nellie wasn't worried about the water, the fire would evaporate it sure enough.

"Good idea," she whispered in response and then stood up from her kneeling position. In a hurried pace, she went up the stairs and into her bedroom, quickly changing into her other nightgown. A soft knock was heard on her door as soon as she finished smoothing out the fabric.

Nellie opened it a crack, revealing the sight of Sweeney Todd. "You should come downstairs," he told her. "It's much too cold up here."

Nodding, Nellie opened her door all the way and left her bedroom, following Sweeney down the stairs. Once back in the drawing room, Nellie curled up in her favourite corner of the couch whilst Sweeney sat down on what he claimed as his side.

"Sweeney," Nellie called out to the barber softly. "We kissed." Sweeney turned to look at her with a 'no duh' expression.

"Yes we did," replied Sweeney, not at all surprised that she had pointed out the obvious. It was something he had grown accustomed to her doing.

Nellie faced Sweeney straight on. "So what does that make us now; a couple, two people who just kissed, or… nothing?" Sweeney did not meet Nellie's gaze. Instead he just stared straight ahead, his face blank as always.

"I don't know," he mumbled, shaking his head slightly. Nellie left it at that, having just experienced the most awkward conversation. She felt the weight of the couch shift a bit and then realised it was because Sweeney had moved closer to her. Before she could open her mouth to ask what he was doing, he pulled her into his arms.

"S-Sweeney, what are doing?" Nellie stuttered, confused by the barber's actions.

"Well I didn't expect you to leave your favourite spot on the couch, and it is much too cold to be without a blanket. Seeing as there are no blankets…" Sweeney trailed off, giving him a sense of mystery. Nellie looked over to one of the sitting chairs and saw three blankets piled on it, the objects illuminated by the fire.

"Uh, Sweeney?" Nellie raised her eyebrows, taking her eyes away from the blankets to look at Sweeney Todd.

"Sh," he commanded. "Just, shh, no talking." Nellie couldn't help but giggle and Sweeney raised an eyebrow. "Do I amuse you?"

"Greatly," Nellie started laughing, unable to help it. In fact, she could've sworn she saw Sweeney smile, or at least give a smirk.

"That's all very well, but for now, we shall rest." And that was the end of the conversation. Sweeney and Eleanor stared intently into the fire, eventually both falling asleep with Nellie resting against Sweeney's chest and his arms around her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Hope ya'll like this chapter. Warning: I don't know what the emotion of the characters are in this because I typed while listening to various My Chemical Romance songs so... if one moment everyone's happy and the next, it's sort of depressing, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I think we all know by now that I don't own Sweeney Todd, for if I did, Sweeney and Nellie would have ended up together.**

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><p>When Nellie awoke, she almost had a panic attack when she felt someone's arms around her frame. It took her moment to recollect memories of last night. When they did come flooding back to her, Nellie smiled to herself. She snuggled into Sweeney and went back to sleep.<p>

The two woke up an hour later, fully rested and prepared for the day ahead. Sweeney was the first to officially wake up. Nellie followed moments later.

"Good morning," she greeted him with a sleep smile on her face as she sat up properly.

"Morning," he mumbled back, adjusting himself so that he also sat up more comfortably. Nellie hesitated for a few moments before standing up to go make breakfast. She hardly took a step past the couch before she felt Sweeney take her hand and tug her back to the couch. She giggled, unable to help it as she sat back down next to him.

"I see we're still amused," Sweeney commented idly. Nellie ceased her giggling, but still kept her smile upon her face.

"Just in high spirits," and it was true. Nellie remembered the kiss and reminisced how wonderful it felt, so magical, so dreamlike, yet so real all at once. Without a word, Sweeney stood up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to put on the kettle. Sighing, Nellie stood up as well to go get dressed for the day.

Eleanor successfully managed to get her corset on as well as her other undergarments; it was the dress she was struggling with. It was fairly new and Nellie wasn't quite familiar with the laces and buttons. Groaning in frustration, Nellie attempted again and again to put the buttons in the right holes, but every time, it wasn't right.

A knock on her door made Nellie jump and gasp. "Uh, who is it?" she asked, then shook her head. Who else could it be but Sweeney Todd? He answered anyway.

"It's Sweeney," he hesitated a moment before continuing. "You've been up here an awful long time. May I come in?"

It took Nellie a moment to find her voice once more. "Y-yes, come in." Her stomach twisted into a bunch of tiny knots. Sweeney Todd was going to enter her room where she stood with an unlaced and unbuttoned dress.

Sweeney stepped into Nellie's room and closed the door behind him silently. "Are you alright?" he asked, noticing that Nellie was no longer pale, but instead a light shade of pink.

"Y-yes I'm alright. Just having trouble with me dress." She waved him off, speaking nonchalantly, as if she weren't incredibly embarrassed. Sweeney walked so that he stood behind her and she flinched when she felt him tugging on the laces of her dress and buttoning up the clothing. Of course, she somewhat expected this, he was helping her. But what she didn't expect was the feel of his lips on her neck. She softly gasped and let her eyes flutter close.

"You like this, don't you?" Sweeney asked with his voice muffled as he was still kissing her neck. Nellie just nodded once. She felt Sweeney give a smirk against her skin. The last lace was tied, the last button in the correct hole. He turned her around, staring into her eyes.

"So does this mean we're a couple now?" Nellie asked, searching Sweeney's dark eyes for an answer. He did not answer with his eyes or verbally. Instead, he just left her room.

Sweeney could not let himself and Nellie become a couple. Yes, he had listened to Lucy's words and tried to forget about her. But that didn't mean he wanted to be with Eleanor Lovett, right? In truth, he wasn't so sure.

In the past, it had been obvious that she fancied him. Way too obvious, especially when she said it aloud. He acted as though he weren't listening to her, as though he was so caught up in singing to his silver friend about dripping the precious rubies of the judge. But it was as he said before: he always listened.

Nellie walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. "Sweeney, what would you like?" she called out to the barber who was absentmindedly pacing in the drawing room. Hearing her voice, Sweeney stopped his pacing and went to the kitchen.

"Just toast," he muttered, subconsciously reaching for his razor in its holster. Nellie raised an eyebrow.

"Just toast?" she questioned. "No tea?" She could've sworn Sweeney smirked.

"Toast and tea." It seemed like he was no longer annoyed with everything Nellie said. But he supposed the real question was: was he ever annoyed in the first place?

Nellie smiled sincerely, "Of course love, anything you want." And she set to work making Sweeney's breakfast of toast and tea. Nellie just had tea.

The two sipped in silence, each with completely different thoughts running through their heads. Nellie was desperately trying to figure out what it was the Sweeney wanted from her. Sweeney was trying to sort out his feelings.

"Sweeney, I was thinking," Nellie began, cautiously. He looked up from the table to meet her gaze. "Well, it's such a nice day out today and we are short on food supplies. Perhaps you and I could go out to the market?" She asked with expectant eyes.

Sweeney pondered this for a moment. Leaving the house, to spend a day with Nellie Lovett?

"Yes."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: School is starting soon so my updates aren't gonna be so constant since my mother is lessening my computer time because she thinks that's why I almost failed math.**

**Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say that I don't own Sweeney Todd?**

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><p>The outside was simply wonderful. The weather had taken a turn for the best. The sun was shining a brilliant light down on everyone below.<p>

Nellie grinned widely. It had been so long since she enjoyed the sunshine. "Oh, ain't this fantastic Sweeney? Being outside in the warm sun?"

"Yeah, fantastic," Sweeney grumbled, folding his arms, never breaking his stride, even as Nellie struggled to keep up. She smiled and chuckled. She unfolded his arms and hooked her own around his.

"Oh come now Sweeney, don't be so grouchy. Enjoy the day for once," Nellie suggested, hoping that Sweeney would act at least a little bit social and not his usual cantankerous mood.

People crowded the boardwalk, Nellie and Sweeney going unnoticed. In fact, they looked almost, natural together. Sweeney in his usual get up of white button up shirt and dark vest, Nellie in her blue and white dress; it was rather strange how normal they seemed despite their dark, uncanny past.

The shops weren't as congested as the boardwalk had been. Nellie looked at everything, having not seen a lot for a while. Of course, they bought their groceries and such other necessities. Nellie carried the bags of victuals around as she gazed at all of the items in shop windows.

"Oh Sweeney look!" she exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a ring on display. "Ain't it gorgeous?" Nellie found the ring very charming. The band was fairly plain: silver with a diamond in the middle and two smaller diamonds surround it, one on each side of the somewhat larger one in the centre.

Sweeney peered down at the object and just gave a quick nod of approval. He was a man, he wasn't into jewelry. It all looked the same to him. Besides, nothing could compare to the beautiful silver of his razors. For a long while, they were the only things he loved, besides his precious Lucy and darling Johanna. Now there was one other love in his life. Wait, did he honestly just think that? No, there was no other love in his life.

Right?

Suddenly, Sweeney felt a tugging on his arm. "Let's go, we have to put these groceries away before they spoil." Nellie was back to her normal self. Sweeney followed, glancing back at the window that held the ring.

When they returned home, Nellie immediately put away the food. She wiped her hands on her dress, unnecessarily, just a force of habit. The whole while, Sweeney stood in the kitchen doorway, hand on the doorframe.

"Well that's done," Nellie said, not really sure why she found it essential to commentate on what happened before her own and Sweeney's eyes. Her talking habits were returning as well, Sweeney noticed, not sure whether this was a good sign or not. He supposed it was good.

"Nellie, come here," Sweeney commanded in a soft, unthreatening tone of voice. With a puzzled expression, Nellie stepped towards Sweeney. He reached out to her, tucking a few strands of that untamable hair of hers. She stared into his dark eyes.

He caressed her face gently, knowing she wasn't very fond of roughness. Not that he ever intended to be rough with her. Before he knew it, Sweeney was kissing Nellie again. And this time, Nellie knew it was real.

When they finally broke apart, Nellie smiled gently. "What was that for?" she asked him softly.

"I need a reason to kiss you?" Sweeney raised an eyebrow in questioning and Nellie turned a light shade of pink.

"I uh, well um," she stuttered, not exactly sure on how to respond to that comment. Nellie was a bit flabbergasted when Sweeney actually chuckled. He was slightly smiling! Nellie was sure she was hallucinating, but even when she rubbed her eyes just to make sure, the smile was still there on Sweeney's face, very faint, but still there. He idly played with a few of her curls.

"How I lived without you all these years I'll never know," he stated quietly, repeating his words from the day Nellie said to put Pirelli into pies. But this time, the words had a different meaning. Nellie smirked, remembering the words.

Silence followed; sweet, golden silence. Neither of them felt the need to say a word.

"So I guess that means we're an item now," Nellie commented after a few minutes of no talking.

"I guess it does," Sweeney responded and kissed her again.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Eighth grade is not so hard, but I have a feeling that it will get harder, which means less writing time. I'll do my best though!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, saying that I don't own Sweeney Todd is really starting to annoy me**

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><p>Sweeney paced back and forth in his shop, fingering his razor. Every time he convinced himself to do it, something stopped him. But he had to do this! He had been saving up for months now; he couldn't let it all go to waste. The soft sound of a bell dinging let Sweeney know a customer had just entered his shop.<p>

"And what may I do for you sir?" Sweeney asked politely, immediately stopping his pacing.

"Just a shave will do," said the man, who sat then sat down in the barber's chair. Sweeney set to work, hoping that shaving the man would take his mind off of the whole ordeal. It didn't. In fact, it gave him more time to think.

Sweeney didn't do his best quality work, but it was good enough for the customer, who paid Sweeney handsomely. The man left without another word and Sweeney was once again left to think.

After pacing for a bit more, Sweeney decided that it was late enough at night to close up shop. Dinner had been eaten a few hours before and the thought of what he was going to do didn't make him hungry or want tea when Nellie offered him some. He sat on the sofa in the drawing room and stared into the fire that was lit.

Who would have thought that the seaside would be deadly cold in the winter time? The summer was always so warm and sunny. Perhaps it just seemed freezing because the couple had grown accustomed to the warm weather. Either way, it was bitter temperature.

"You alright, love?" Nellie asked as she sat down next to Sweeney on the couch, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sweeney nodded, "Yes, I'm alright, just thinking." Nellie gave a small smile. She did that every time Sweeney spoke to her for he had stopped with his one word verdicts and had started elaborating his statements. For once, they were actually communicating.

Nellie wrapped her arms around Sweeney and rested her head on his shoulder. "Should I leave you to your thoughts?" she questioned the barber, knowing that he still might have a bit of a temper. Yet Sweeney stayed calm. He shifted a bit so that Nellie's head was resting on his chest and his arms were around her.

"No, you can stay right here," he replied quietly, holding her close. Nellie gave an airy giggle and nestled against Sweeney. He kissed the top of her head and continued staring into the flames that danced in the fireplace. His mind was made up. He would do it; he would buy what he had been saving up for.

"Sweeney love," Nellie began quietly. "I've been thinking… we've been together for a few months now."

"So we have." Sweeney didn't really mind that she was still pointing out the obvious.

Nellie fiddled with the hem of her dress. "I was wondering if it was too soon to say…" Nellie trailed off, unsure of whether she wanted to continue or not.

"To say?" Sweeney repeated, quite intrigued to hear what she had to say. Nellie kept her gaze on the floor, not daring to look at Sweeney. Seeing this, Sweeney placed a hand under her chin and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "Tell me what it is you wish to say pet," he told her gently, making Nellie feel comfortable with speaking with him again.

"I love you," she said bluntly, staring right into Sweeney's eyes. "I love you," she repeated and then leaned in, giving Sweeney a gentle kiss, which he allowed her to do, kissing her back. "Do you love me?" she questioned with hopeful eyes. Sweeney just nodded, not saying 'I love you' back. Sighing, Nellie returned to looking at the fire.

He hadn't said it like she hoped he would. He hadn't said 'I love you' like she had once dreamed he would say. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Nellie untangled herself from Sweeney's arms and stood up, head bent down slightly as she walked up the stairs to go to her room.

Slowly, she stepped into the darkened room, shivering slightly for the upstairs was much colder than down. Nellie quickly changed into her nightdress and quickly snuggled under the covers on her bed. She closed her eyes, trying ever so hard to reach that blissful land of dreams, but was not successful. The sound of her door creaking open didn't help the situation either. Hurriedly, Nellie snapped her eyes shut, hoping she looked as if she were sleeping.

"Nellie," she heard Sweeney call out to her softly. She made no response, just kept her breathing nice and light. Sweeney sighed quietly and did his best to silently walk over to her bed. Nellie felt the weight of the bed shift slightly as Sweeney sat down on the edge.

He brushed away a few stray curls from her face, and she tried to suppress a sigh, ending up being very successful. His fingers traced and lightly caressed her face as he studied her. Sweeney couldn't really believe that he hadn't seen her true beauty before. After a few more moments of no moving and no noise, Sweeney moved so that he was now lying next to Nellie, though he stayed atop of the blankets.

Sweeney snuggled close to Nellie, burying his face in her curls, kissing her head. Incapable of stopping her actions, Nellie turned onto her other side so that she was face to face with Sweeney, but her eyes remained closed. Smiling faintly, Sweeney leaned in and kissed her forehead, chuckling lightly when he heard her sigh mellifluously. Now knowing that she was awake, Sweeney wrapped his arms around Nellie's small frame, holding her close to him.

He loved her, he really did. Sweeney just wasn't ready to say it aloud. All in good time, he would though.

All in good time.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I reread this chapter and decided it wasn't good enough. So here's the edited version of chapter 13. It is the ultimate chapter, unless you count the epilogue, in which case, this is the second ultimate chapter. **

**WARNING: OOCness ahead. MAJOR OOCNESS!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own it.**

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><p>There she was, just sitting, as if she were waiting for him, almost like she was expecting this to happen. He shook his head. Of course she wasn't expecting this.<p>

Breathe, just breathe.

He fingered the small, black box, trying to find the right moment. He had never been so anxious before in his life. Not even when proposing to Lucy. That had actually been simple. This was far from simple. He was convinced that it was the most complicated thing in the world.

Breathe, just breathe. You can do this. Just breathe.

There would be no interruptions. The barber's shop was closed for the day. Nothing to stop him from doing this. He couldn't decided whether that was a blessing or a curse.

Shh, it's okay, just breathe.

"Nellie?" he called out to her softly. Nellie put down her book next to her on the couch and looked over to Sweeney.

"Yes?" Her eyes were filled with questioning and innocence. Sweeney stepped out of the shadows, the box hidden in his palm. Nellie clearly wasn't expecting a thing to happen. Nothing had really happened between the two except for the kissing and being close to each other. Now things were going to change… drastically.

"Well I…" why couldn't he speak? This was just Eleanor Lovett! But that was the thing, it was Eleanor Lovett. And she took pity on his momentary speech impediment.

"Come sit down and tell me what's on your mind." Nellie removed her book from next to her and patted the empty space on the sofa, indicating that Sweeney should sit down. With the box well hidden, Sweeney did. "Now what's got your knickers in such a twist?"

Sweeney envied Nellie's ability to make situations seem simpler than they really were. The fact of the matter was, what he was going to ask wasn't as simple as just asking. It was more than that.

Nellie raised her eyebrows at Sweeney expectantly. "Well? Tell me what's on your mind love," she urged him gently. This just infuriated Sweeney.

He stood up from the couch abruptly and began pacing, no longer hiding the small black box. He kept flipping over in his hand as if it were a way to placate him. Of course, Nellie took notice of this.

"What's that?" she questioned, quite curious about the object. Her first thought was… no, it couldn't be. Sweeney had surprised her the whole while that they were living by the sea, but even he wouldn't do such a thing.

Sweeney shook his head, not answering properly. "I just don't understand," he mumbled under his breath, but was still loud enough for Nellie to hear. She looked at him with a very quizzical countenance.

"Sweeney, what are you bloody talking about? Don't understand what?" Nellie demanded, standing up from the couch as well, hands on her hips. She hated being left out of the loop and Nellie felt as if she were miles away from said loop.

The barber stopped his pacing and glowered at Nellie, like he used to when they were at Fleet Street. "I don't understand how you can infuriate me and make me love you at the same time," he said darkly. It was like old times.

Nellie stared at Sweeney in utter shock. Had he just said the "L" word? "Wh-what?" she stuttered, unsure if she had heard Sweeney correctly, and not knowing if she wanted to have heard him correctly.

"I. Love. You," Sweeney spat harshly. He took a step forward, placing his hands on her shoulders, despite holding the box in one. "I love you," he repeated his voice less harsh and a little quieter when he saw Nellie's look of surprise.

"You do?" she asked with sincerity. Nellie couldn't believe it one bit. Sweeney had just said he loved her, just like she dreamed he would say.

Sweeney nodded curtly. "Yes, I do. And I want to be with you Nellie," Sweeney revealed the box completely and opened it, showing off the ring he and Nellie had seen those many months ago at the boardwalk in the shop window, "forever. I want you to marry me Nellie." As he spoke, Sweeney knelt down on one knee, the ring glinting in the dim light of the fire in the fireplace.

Nellie was caught completely off guard. Did Sweeney Todd just ask her to marry him? Did he just honestly ask the question she wanted him to ask her since they first met when he was Benjamin Barker? Yes, he had, and Nellie wasn't dreaming.

Sweeney waited for an answer, unsure if he wanted to hear one. What if she said no? What if she said yes? Either way, he supposed he would be alright, as long as he was with her. It was strange, Sweeney never imagined himself thinking these thoughts about his once landlady and partner in crime.

Nellie found herself rendered speechless, completely unable to say a word. She wanted to say something so that Sweeney wouldn't think she was saying no to him.

_Yes, say yes! You idiot, spit it out!_

"Yes," Nellie said quickly. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" she repeated, kneeling down so that she was eye level with Sweeney. "Yes I will marry you."

Sweeney grinned, he actually grinned! He was happy to hear her answer, was happy that she still wanted to be with him after all of this time and even with his dark past. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. They both loved the way it looked on her. Nellie's smile would not disappear and it never would. At least, that's what Nellie was sure of. She was just so elated and ecstatic. Her dream, her by the seaside dream was coming true.

Sweeney couldn't stop himself; he kissed Nellie deep and passionately. He loved her, he truly did and he had told her that. The news was settling in to both of their heads.

They were going to get married.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I apologise for the shortness, but the next chapter will be much longer for it is yes, the epilogue! When I first scribbled down the epilogue, it seemed like a surprise ending but now that the story has progressed to this point, perhaps it won't be so surprising. Either way, Sweenett lovers will Love It! **

**Disclaimer: I may have designed this chapter, but no character that you recognise to be in Sweeney Todd is mine.**

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><p>This didn't seem like it was actually happening. Sweeney paced up and down the aisle at the church, awaiting his bride to come and join him. Now it was to become official. If neither of them said 'no', then they would be together forever. And Sweeney was just fine with that.<p>

Nellie stood in front of the full length mirror, just staring at herself, doing nothing but staring, occasionally smoothing out her white dress. It was a plain one with just a bit of lace on the end for décor. Nothing too fancy, just long sleeves and skirt that fell straight down. But to Nellie, it was the most beautiful dress. It was more than a dress, it would symbolize the day she would become Mrs. Todd, like she once dreamed.

She had no bridesmaids and only a few townsfolk that have barely come to know the Sweeney would attend and of course some of Nellie's friends. It didn't matter though, she was getting married.

Sweeney couldn't have been more nervous. The last time he got married, it ended tragically with his wife poisoning herself and then him accidently killing her. Surely he was still angry with Mrs. Lovett for that? But then he remembered the dream. _Forget me Sweeney; forget me, _still echoed in his head. This was what Lucy wanted him to do right? Even he wanted to do this now. He kept adjusting his tie; it never felt right. First it was too tight, then too loose and now it was feeling too tight again. Sweeney had to grasp one hand with the other to prevent himself from doing any more regulating.

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><p><em>Breathe Nellie, just breathe.<em>

Nellie waited outside the big oak doors, waiting for her cue to start coming down the aisle. The music of the organ started up and the doors were open. Though the church was mostly empty, Nellie couldn't ask for a more perfect day.

There he stood, so still, one hand atop of the other as Sweeney waited for his bride, his wife-to-be. He couldn't help but think she looked absolutely stunning; the way her dress fit her figure just right, how her usual tangled curls were neatly pinned back, the veil, he just loved the veil. The veil represented being a virgin and Sweeney was glad that he would be marrying a pure woman. It just wouldn't feel right if it were any other way.

Despite her nervousness, Nellie walked down the aisle towards the man she loved. This was it. No turning back and she didn't want to. Everything felt like a dream, one she did not wish to wake up from. It seemed like an invisible force was pulling her towards Sweeney. She always knew he had a magnetic attraction.

Nellie's heart just screamed for joy when she reached the alter, her soon-to-be husband standing right next to her. It was her turn to say the vows, and she panicked for a moment, hoping her voice wouldn't fail her now.

"With this hand I will lift your sorrows. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine."

Though his face was displaying his usual expression of depression, Sweeney felt so jubilant inside. Nellie Lovett was soon to be his wife. Sweeney cleared his throat quietly when it came his time to say his vows.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this ring, I ask you to be mine." As he spoke the last of his vows, Sweeney slipped the wedding band on Nellie's dainty finger, glad to see her smile widely.

"You may kiss your bride," said the minister, who then stepped back, rather stunned by the fact that these two were getting married. They were such an unlikely couple. She seemed cheerful and he seemed gloomy. But the minister supposed that this was why they were so compatible. They balanced each other out.

Sweeney placed a light-as-a-feather kiss upon Nellie's lips and to her it felt like the greatest kiss they would ever share. It was official now. They were married.

Sweeney Todd, Nellie Todd.

Nellie Todd, Sweeney Todd.

Mr. and Mrs. Todd.

Absolutely perfect.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks ever so much to all of you lovely reviewers! This story could not have been continued without your support! I love you all! There might be a sequel, but it will only be a one shot. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to happen.**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN SWEENEY FREAKIN' TODD!**

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><p>Shrieks of laughter could be heard ringing out all through the Todd residence.<p>

"Johnny, leave me alone!" laughed seven year-old Lyra. Johnny reached for his younger sister and grabbed her despite her protests.

"Gotcha! No way of escaping me Emily," chuckled Johnny, slightly tightening his grip on Lyra.

When she heard him call her Emily, Lyra burst out laughing. "But Johnny, I ain't Emily." Just then, someone tapped Johnny's shoulder tapped Johnny's shoulder. Releasing Lyra, he whirled around to face Lyra's twin sister, Emily. Johnny lunged for Emily and got a hold of her just as the children's mother stepped into the room.

"What is going on in here?" Nellie demanded, hands on her hips. "Jonathon Tobias Todd, release you sister at once." On Nellie's command, Johnny did as he was told. Nellie shook her head, "I don't know what I'm gonna do with you three."

All three children looked down at their shoes and Nellie felt bad. She knelt down and opened her arms. "Come here you three." The twins and nine year-old Jonathon ran up to their mother and four group-hugged.

The front door opened and closed silently as the family hugged. No one heard the soft footsteps of a tall male as he snuck up behind and joined in on the hug, earning him squeals of surprise from his family.

"Father you're home!" exclaimed Emily, happy that her father returned from the boardwalk. Sweeney chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

"Of course, I couldn't stand being away from you four for so long." It was the truth, Sweeney hated being away from his family for long periods of time, which was why he was glad he worked at the barber shop upstairs. Sweeney released his grasp and everyone else did the same.

Nellie stood up properly and kissed Sweeney on the cheek lightly. "Glad to have you home love," she confessed as she started to step away. But Sweeney was not completely satisfied. He wrapped his arms around Nellie's waist and brought her back to him, placing a firm kiss upon her lips. Nellie smiled into the kiss. Ten years they had been happily married and she never stopped loving the feel of his lips against hers.

"Ew!" Johnny, Lyra, and Emily cried in unison. Sweeney and Nellie pulled away from each other reluctantly for the benefit of their children. Both parents were grinning. It was impossible to have a boring time with the Todd children. And they had a remarkable resemblance to both Mr. and Mrs. Todd.

Johnny, Emily, and Lyra all had their mother's hair colour, just a tad bit darker thanks to their father. The children weren't as pale as their parents for they had grown up at the seaside, but they still inherited the genes for pale skin. The twins and brother were very proud that their eyes were a dark mix of both Nellie's and Sweeney's eyes. They all just fit together.

"Okay you lot, why don't you go outside while your father and I work on dinner, hm?" Nellie suggested, though the children knew that they better do as she said. They merrily skipped out of the house and Nellie went towards the kitchen, Sweeney right on her trail.

Nellie immediately set to work on dinner, humming cheerfully to herself. Her life had been perfect thus far as a Todd. She and Sweeney were very much in love and they had three beautiful children. Nellie jumped slightly as she felt two arms wrap around her middle from behind, but she relaxed when she realised who it must be.

Sweeney placed his lips on her neck, peppering her pale neck with light as air kisses. Nellie barely stifled a moan and Sweeney smiled against her skin. He loved getting this reaction out of her.

"Sweeney love, now ain't the best time for… fooling around," she sighed, putting down the paring knife she had been using. "The children are right outside ya know."

"I know," Sweeney whispered in her ear. "And I don't intend to do anything with the children right outside. However, they are going out to a friend's house tomorrow afternoon and evening. Therefore, I think that gives us plenty of time to-" Sweeney however was cut off by the sound of little girls shrieking in delight.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe that just happened!" Lyra voiced, obviously very excited about something. Emily giggled uncontrollably.

"I can't believe it either, and I watched him do it!"

"And I watched him to!"

The statements spoken by the twins greatly confused both Nellie and Sweeney. What on earth could their girls be talking about? Wiping her hands on the skirt of her dress, Nellie walked into the drawing room where the girls now sat on the couch.

"Care to tell us what's going on?" Nellie asked as she sat next to Emily, who began blushing a deep red. As Sweeney sat next to Lyra, she did the same.

"Ya know Robert?" Emily questioned both Sweeney and Nellie, who nodded their heads. Nellie had a thought she knew what was coming up next and so did Sweeney, only he didn't want to believe it to be true.

"He kissed us!" Lyra squealed jubilantly. Nellie's lips formed a small smile while Sweeney's expression darkened. "On the cheek," Lyra added. This only helped matters a bit. Sweeney stood up and began pacing. He hated the idea of his little girls growing up. They were kissed? Emily and Lyra looked at their father with innocent, questioning eyes. Had they done something wrong?

"Oh dearies," Nellie breathed, seeing the expression upon her daughters' faces. "You did nothing wrong. Father's just a bit upset that you're turning into beautiful young ladies so fast." Nellie eyed Sweeney, hoping that he would support her with this. He had no choice, it was the truth.

Lyra and Emily stood up from the couch and hugged their father. Sweeney smiled at them and knelt down to hug them properly. Johnny walked through the doorway as this happened, feeling nervous. Would his father be upset with him for letting Robert kiss the twins? From the sight of the twins and Sweeney, Johnny assumed he was in the clear.

Smiling, Nellie stood up from her spot on the sofa. "Well, why don't you three children go wash your hands and you can help me with dinner." It was always the children's favourite thing to do: help out their parents whenever they could. So of course they willingly obliged and dashed off to wash their hands. Sweeney stood up, the faintest of smiles playing on his face.

Nellie practically waltzed over to him and kissed him passionately. He wrapped his arms around her loosely, holding her close. "Children," he reminded her quietly by whispering in her ear. Sighing in defeat, she pulled away and went back into the kitchen. Soon, the three Todd children entered and immediately set to work, helping their beloved mum.

Dinner was done in no time and the family sat at the table, the children giggling uncontrollably for unknown reasons, causing the adults to laugh. Grace was said quietly and then the eating began as the sun began its decent below horizon.

Cleaning was a breeze and everyone was full and happy. The time for bed came and despite the protesting children, they willingly went to their rooms, the twins in Nellie's old room and Johnny in the new room built next to the twins' bedroom.

Mr. and Mrs. Todd collapsed on the couch next to each other, immediately moving closer. "Alone at last," Sweeney whispered into Nellie's ear, kissing her cheek. Nellie then rested her head upon Sweeney's shoulder as he held her close. Both watched the fire as it illuminated the drawing room of the Todd residence.

All was well.

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><p>Okay, I have a bunch of fanfiction ideas so here's a few things to keep an eye out for from me.<p>

Sweeney Todd: High on a Mountain (sequel to The Demon Daughter of Fleet Street)

Harry Potter: Stepping Stones

Alice in Wonderland, 2010: Allison in Wonderland (revised edition)

I also have an idea for The Golden Girls and a first ever Nanny Mcphee and Harry Potter crossover. I am thinking of posting at least just the first chapter of the crossover cos I wanna be the first to do that type of crossover. Thoughts about it?

**Once again, thanks for all the wonderful support. You guys rock!**


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